Hudson: Last show 'a tear-jerker'

Lucy-Jo Hudson has revealed she felt she had a few shortcomings when it came to measuring up to her new groom in Wild At Heart.

The sun-soaked show, filmed in South Africa and set in a game reserve, which has brightened up Sunday nights since 2006, is back for its final episode this weekend, and Lucy-Jo said it is a bit of a "tear jerker".

Though the actress can't give too much away, she revealed it involves a family trip to Zimbabwe, a hunt for some kidnapped cheetahs and another wedding for Rosie.

"I've just got divorced and I get married again," said Lucy-Jo, rolling her eyes affectionately. She promised there'll be "tears and laughter" for viewers, and admitted there was plenty of both while filming the scenes, too. Tears because their magical spell in South Africa was over.

"We do six months there and six months at home, so it feels like our second home. As soon as I get to Johannesburg and hear the South African accent I feel like I'm at home, it's the weirdest feeling."

The beautiful wild animals take centre stage in the drama, and provide lots of amusing backstage tales, too. However, filming the final scenes, Lucy-Jo revealed that this time the laughter came from another quarter - namely the height difference between her and the lucky man walking Rosie down the aisle.

The new groom was played by a local actor who, at 6ft 4ins, towered over the 5ft 4ins actress.

"When I first met him I was like, 'Are you serious?' I just came up to his waist!" she recalled, laughing. "I had to stand on a platform if we were filming together or if we sat down I had to be on a higher chair. But he's so lovely, and it's the same with Steven (Tomkinson, who plays her dad Danny Trevanion), when I'm next to Steven I have to stand on a box."